The method of powder coating an object to form a paint coating thereon is well known. Such powder coating techniques require a washing step to remove oils and dirt that would inhibit the bonding of the power coating to the surface of the object to be coated. It is now well known to use a power washer to dislodge oil and dirt from the object to be coated. Depending on the geographic location, iron phosphate, potassium phosphate and/or sodium phosphate (hereinafter referred to as phosphate collectively) is usually added to the wash solution used in spray washing to facilitate the removal of the oil and dirt.
A typical powder coating company uses from 15,000 to 18,000 gallons of water and 125 to 175 gallons of phosphate per month in the washing process of powder coating. This used wash solution of wash water and chemicals is usually discharged through municipal waste systems.
There have been attempts to recycle the used wash solution. One such conventional recycling apparatus is sold commercially under the Cyclonator™ name. A description can be found on the internet at www.cyclonator.com. This system uses numerous hoses to and from a specially designed washing platform, an additional separate filtering tank to remove larger debris and oils, a special holding tank, and two vacuum canister type filters that require expensive filters. This recycling apparatus provides no visual monitoring ability except for vacuum gauges, has no pH monitoring nor automatic adjustment capability, and the location of the unit has to be in close proximity to the wash platform and the power washer. Furthermore, the recycling apparatus is difficult to maintain, requires a large area of space and numerous extra equipment at additional cost. Moreover, the vacuum used to force the wash solution through a filter can undesirably force dirt through filters.
There is a need for an improved recycling apparatus that does not require a vacuum, provides easy visual inspection of the filters during operation, is easy to maintain and operate, is compatible with the wide range of wash platforms currently used, and can be scaled to any size powder coating operation.